The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), ratified by Ireland in 1992, sets out the rights of children and young people up to the age of 18 and forms the basis for the vision in Young Ireland . While young people aged 18-24 are adults, the Government recognises that they may have specific difficulties accessing their rights, as they face transitions into further education or employment, leaving care or moving from child to adult health or mental health services. The data and public consultations underpinning this Policy Framework show that, in general, children and young people are doing well but there are groups that face additional challenges and need additional support.

Significant work is already underway across Government to address the issues facing children and young people. This new Policy Framework:

• sets out current issues impacting children and young people identified by them, as demonstrated by the Children and Young People’s Indicator Set and as recently highlighted by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child;

• sets out a programme of work to create an enabling environment to ensure that children and young people are a central part of everyone’s agenda;

• announces spotlight programmes to focus on the most significant challenges for children and young people, with resources from across government;

• re-establishes governance structures where the State will work with civil society partners to provide renewed leadership and impetus to realise existing policy commitments such as First 5, Ireland’s EU Child Guarantee National Action Plan, the newly-announced Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office, and other major policy initiatives across Government impacting children and young people;

• identifies the priority areas requiring coordinated action across Government; and,

• identifies a number of complementary actions to address issues that were identified during the development of this framework .